Ovine Eimeria infections in southern Brazil – prevalence and risk factors

Eimeria infections are common in sheep industry worldwide, however information about their epidemiology is scarce in southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence, species characterization, and associated risk factors between Eimeria species and sheep flocks. Fecal samples from 428 sheep from 21 farms were tested for the presence of oocysts. The overall prevalence of Eimeria spp. was 68.69% and was significantly affected by age of the sheep, with highest prevalence in animals under 18 months of age. Eight Eimeria species were identified. Eimeria ovinoidalis (85.71%) was the most common, followed by Eimeria crandallis (80.95%), Eimeria granulosa (78.95%), Eimeria ahsata (61.90%), Eimeria faurei (42.86%), Eimeria bakuensis (38.10%), Eimeria punctata (14.29%), and Eimeria pallida (9.52%). All herds were positive, with concomitant infections. Among management and husbandry practices; farm size, animal density, farming system, breeding objectives, and pasture system influenced the prevalence of Eimeria species. The infection was more prevalent on small farms with high animal density, in sheep raised for meat, semi-intensive system, and rotational grazing (p < 0.05). The wide distribution of this protozoan and the high frequency of pathogenic species show the importance and potential damage of coccidiosis in sheep flocks in Rio Grande do Sul.

Effectiveness of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Products and Their Derived Antimicrobial Lipopeptides in Controlling Coccidiosis in Broilers

This study aimed to investigate the potential of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products (BLFP) and their derived antimicrobial lipopeptide, surfactin, for the prevention of coccidiosis in broilers. Broilers were fed BLFP at 1.25 and 5 g/kg under Eimeria tenella challenge. At the end of experiment (35 days), the growth performance, survival rate, cecal morphology, cecal lesion scores, oocyst-count index, and anti-coccidial index were analyzed. The effects of the BLFP-derived surfactin on oocyst sporulation and sporozoite morphology in Eimeria species were also investigated in vitro. Results showed that BLFP supplementation at 1.25 and 5 g/kg improved cecal morphology and increased the survival rate of broilers under E. tenella challenge. Supplementation with 1.25 g/kg of BLFP reduced the lesion scores in the cecum of E. tenella-challenged broilers, while the oocyst-count index was reduced in broilers given 5 g/kg of BLFP. The anti-coccidial index of the 1.25 g/kg of BLFP-treated group was greater than 160, compared with the E. tenella-challenge-only group. Furthermore, surfactin inhibited Eimeria oocyst sporulation and disrupted sporozoite morphology. These results demonstrate that BLFPs and their derived antimicrobial lipopeptide, surfactin, exhibit anti-coccidial activity in vitro and in vivo. BLFP may be used as a natural feed additive for the prevention of coccidiosis in broilers, and 1.25 g/kg can be considered the optimum dosage.

Anticoccidial potential of Ageratum conyzoides and its effect on Blood parameters of experimentally infected Broiler Chickens

Coccidiosis is an infectious parasitic disease of poultry which causes heavy economic losses to commercial poultry industry. Coccidiosis has been generally controlled by using different synthetic anticoccidial drugs but, due to development of resistance to these drugs this method is losing its effectiveness. Exploration of novel and alternative compounds against avian coccidiosis is need of time now a days. In this regard, medicinal plants can serve as substitute to these synthetic anticoccidials. Thus, to find out alternative novel agents, current research was designed to evaluate the anticoccidial potential of Ageratum conyzoides extract (ACE). For in vivo experiment, 105 broiler chicks were purchased and further divided into 7 sub-groups (15 birds in each group). At 7th day of experiment, Groups A, B and C were fed with plant extract at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg respectively. Group D was supplemented with Vitamin-E while, Group E and F remained as infected medicated and infected un-medicated control groups and served with standard medicine (Baycox®) and Phosphate Buffer Saline (PBS) respectively. Moreover, Group G served as normal control group. At day 14th of experiment, all groups except rom Group G were orally infected with 60,000 sporulated oocysts of mixed Eimeria species. Anticoccidial potential of ACE was evaluated on the basis of lesion scores, fecal scores, oocyst scores and feed conversion ratio. Furthermore, the effect of ACE on the serum chemistry was also evaluated to check toxicity of plant extract if any. The results were compared with standard medicine (Baycox®). On the basis of results, ACE showed anticoccidial activity by reducing fecal, lesion and oocyst scores in infected chicks (P<0.05). ACE also improved FCR of infected chicks. Moreover, ACE exhibited positive effects on serum chemistry of broiler chickens (P<0.05).

Anticoccidial resistance in poultry

This study aimed to determine the resistance of coccidia to ionophores used in broiler farms in Tizi-Ouzou province, Algeria. Droppings were collected and recovered Eimeria oocyst isolates were analysed by morphometry to determine their composition, and then inoculated by peros into chicks of the Arbor Acres strain, reared on the ground. Four of six groups of chicks were treated to test the sensitivity of oocysts to four anticoccidial agents added to their growth feeds [(robenidine (33 ppm), monensin (120 ppm), narasin-nicarbazin (80 ppm) and salinomycin (60 ppm)], while the other two groups were controls. The results revealed the presence of total resistance to monensin and robenidine, and partial resistance to salinomycin and the narasin-nicarbazin combination. The lack of sensitivity to monensin and robenidine was unsurprising, given their inappropriate and unreasonable use for years as the only anticoccidial compounds. The appearance of partial resistance to narasin-nicarbazin and salinomycin suggests the development of cross-resistance in the Eimeria population. The possibility of a relatively uniform composition of Eimeria species collected in these farms indicates that Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima develop resistance more quickly to these ionophores. Finally, a control strategy must be rigorously developed by considering other molecules that are alternatives to anticoccidials.

Occurrence of poultry coccidiosis in different management systems in Thrissur, Kerala

Coccidiosis is one of the most prevalent and economically important parasitic diseases caused by the infection with Eimeria species contributing to major economic losses of poultry industry worldwide. In this study, occurrence of Eimeria spp. in chicken reared under different management systems was studied. A total of 300 faecal samples from chicken were collected from six organised poultry farms and six backyard poultry units in and around Thrissur, Kerala. Out of this, 167 faecal samples were from organised farms and 133 from backyard poultry units. All the samples were artificially sporulated and examined for studying the oocysts morphology and morphometry. Out of 167 samples from organised farms 52 were found to be positive for Eimeria spp. while 61 out of 133 samples from backyard poultry were positive. The overall occurrence of Eimeria spp. in chicken from 12 different areas in and around Thrissur was 37.66 per cent (113/300). The species of Eimeria identified on morphological examination were E. tenella, E. necatrix and E. maxima. The occurrence rate of E. tenella was found to be significantly higher (46.01 %) compared to E. necatrix (39.82 %) and E. maxima (14.15 %). The rate of occurrence of Eimeria spp. infection was significantly higher in backyard poultry (45.86 %) compared to that in organised farms (31.13 %).

Protective and immunostimulatory effects of in-feed preparations of an anticoccidial, a probiotic, a vitamin-selenium complex, and Ferulago angulata extract in broiler chickens infected with Eimeria species

Background Two experiments were conducted to compare the growth-promoting (experiment 1), protective, and immunostimulatory effects (experiment 2) of salinomycin, probiotic, a vitamin-selenium complex, and Ferulago angulata hydroalcoholic extract (FAE) against coccidiosis in broilers. In each experiment, 350 1-day-old broiler chickens were equally divided in 7 groups: uninfected negative control (NC); infected positive control (PC); or PC supplemented with salinomycin (Sal); probiotic (Pro); a combination of vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium (ECSe); 200 mg/kg of FAE (FAE200); or 400 mg/kg of FAE (FAE400). All these groups (except NC) were challenged via oral gavage with oocysts of mixed Eimeria spp. on d 10 (experiment 1) or d 14 (experiment 2). Results In the first trial, all treatments improved growth and feed conversion compared with the PC group, where the best values were noticed in the NC and FAE400 groups throughout the entire experimental period (d 1 to 42). Further, a lower mortality rate (P < 0.05) was observed in the NC, Sal, and FAE400 groups as compared to that in the PC group. In the second trial, intestinal lesion scores and total oocyst numbers were reduced in the Sal, Pro, and FAE400 groups compared to the PC group, albeit all coccidiosis-challenged groups had higher oocyst shedding (P < 0.05) compared to NC group. Immune responses revealed that among challenged birds, those fed diets Pro, ECSE, and FAE400 had significantly higher primary total and secondary total and IgG antibody titers against sheep red blood cells, serum and cecum specific IgG levels, and serum IFN-γ concentration than the PC group. Conclusions Considering the results, dietary FAE, especially at high levels of inclusion in broiler diet (400 mg/kg), could beneficially influence growth performance and immune status under coccidiosis challenge, which was comparable to that of probiotic supplement.